Maren Marie: A Birth Story

My hope for baby # 2 was to have a successful VBAC and to allow my body to naturally go into labor.  I made a switch sometime in late May from a OBGYN practice strongly pushing for a repeat cesarean birth to a midwifery group at a hospital famous for successful VBAC's and a more natural approach to childbirth.  They allowed me to go to the full 42 weeks, as needed, before discussing induction options.  I was nervous on the outset to make a switch part way into a pregnancy, but it turned out to be an excellent decision.

Wednesday August 14 at about 10 am I started having contractions.  Dallin was already at work.  I went about my normal morning activities, working through some early contractions.  The contractions were coming about every 12-15 minutes, and even at that early stage, felt quite strong.  Ezra was busy as a bee all around me.  Around 11:30 am I called Dallin to give him an update, and told him that I might need his help to drive Ezra to his 3:00 pm pediatric dentist appointment.  In between contractions, I packed my hospital bag.  Ezra and I had lunch at noon.  All the while my contractions were picking up in intensity and speed.  Eating lunch was difficult, and with every contraction I had to stop what I was doing to breathe through it.  At 1:15 or so I asked Dallin to come home.  Contractions were 4-5 minutes apart and very intense.  I called Roslyn and asked her to come up to the house to watch Ezra.  I also called our doula and advised her of my progress.  I was so afraid that it wasn't really real labor; I was so worried that I would inconvenience three people that I almost didn't make the calls.  At this point Ezra was just a blur in the background entertaining himself.

Dallin got home around 2 pm and Roslyn arrived shortly thereafter.  We left the house around 2:20 pm and arrived at the hospital around 3 pm.  We drove up to the drop-off zone in front of the hospital.  I made it twenty feet to the entrance doors and had a contraction in the doorway.  The security guards at the front desk saw me and brought a wheelchair.  They wheeled me to the OB Screening room on the first floor where an older nurse greeted me.  "Why are you here?" she asked.  Under different circumstances, her question would have been comical.  (For goodness sake, why do you think?!)  Instead, in the midst of a contraction I eeked out, "I think I am in labor."  Older (grumpy) nurse didn't seem convinced.  She passed me off to the attendant behind the desk, who would help me when she got off the phone. 

Shortly thereafter, I was wheeled to an observation room.  The nurse checked my cervix and reported that I was a healthy 4 cm dilated.  I was rather surprised/disappointed that I was only that far along considering the intensity of the contractions.  I remember thinking that I would definitely be needing an epidural if I felt this kind of pain and was only at 4 cm dilated.  Our doula, Josie, arrived 5 minutes later.  The three of us worked through my contractions together while I was monitored.  About half an hour later, Josie suggested I might be more comfortable in a different position.  She thought it might be easier to stand and lean over the exam table so that someone could apply counter-pressure to my back.  I agreed to try.

At about 3:45 or so I changed positions, and felt an immediate change in intensity and pressure.  Gravity was at work!  I could hardly breath without gasping in pain.  And during that first contraction in the standing position, I felt the urge to push.  Thankfully, Josie had enough experience to recognize the shift and scurried out the door to find a nurse.  Older (grumpy) nurse was notified; she was again rather unconvinced of the urgency of the situation.  A few minutes later, a different nurse came in rather casually and suggested that my cervix be checked again.  With every contraction I wanted to push, and the nurses finally recognized that baby was coming.  A stretcher was wheeled in, and somehow, I made it
onto the bed.

We rode the elevator up one floor (pushing urges continuing) and into a labor and delivery room.  Due to some sort of scheduling quirk and an otherwise quiet afternoon, I had five attending midwives and a few nurses!  As soon as the stretcher was aligned with the delivery bed, I suddenly felt something pop out of me.  There was a small moment of panic--no, not the baby, just my bag of water.  The water bag was punctured and I moved to the adjoining bed.  (Things had happened so fast that I was actually still in my own clothes at this point).

The contractions had started to fade, and now instead, the overwhelming desire to push.  It was probably about 4 pm.  My troupe of midwives were oohing and awing over baby's quantity of hair as her head started to crown.  This was highly motivating!  After the work of contractions, the pushing was actually somewhat of a relief because I had some control over how and when I pushed.  Baby was born at 4:18 pm.  I was able to hold her on my chest immediately, umbilical cord still attached, until the cord blood stopped pumping.  It was amazing!  Within a half hour of birth she was nursing.

The entire experience was full of the unexpected.  I was surprised that my body actually went into labor on its own.  I was unprepared for how quickly it all happened; something akin to a runaway train ride.  I did not anticipate that the entire birth experience would be completed in six hours.  I had quietly hoped to have a natural birth, but never dreamed it would have to be that way because of the speed of the process.  Despite all the unexpected elements, it was truly a beautiful, positive, fulfilling experience.